Geballe, Adam D, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Member, Divisions of Human Biology and Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center


CONTACT INFORMATION
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
1100 Fairview Avenue North
Mailstop C2-023
P.O. Box 19024
Seattle, WA 98109-1024
Box 358080 (C2-023)

Phone: (206) 667-5122
Fax: (206) 667-6523
ageballe@fhcrc.org

LINK TO THE COMMUNITY OF SCIENCE WEBSITE:

LINK TO ADAM GEBALLES COMMUNITY OF SCIENCE WEB PAGE

CURRENT RESEARCH INTERESTS

Research in the Geballe lab focuses on the molecular biology and pathogenesis of infections by human cytomegalovirus (CMV) and related herpesviruses. Using the tools of molecular virology, studies aim to discover the translational mechanisms that these viruses use to subvert the host cell's antiviral response and to regulate expression of viral proteins. CMV infection prevents the global shutoff of translation that is a common feature of the cellular antiviral response pathways. Using a genetic screen, recent experiments identified two CMV genes responsible for this effect. Current efforts are underway to elucidate the mechanism of action of these genes and to determine their role in the CMV life cycle. To clarify the evolutionary significance and the pathogenetic roles of these pathways, new investigations aiming to identify genes with similar functions in murine CMV and human herpesvirus 6 have commenced. 

Distinct from its impact on global protein synthesis, CMV also has evolved intricate mechanisms for regulating translation of specific genes. Previous studies revealed that synthesis of one very small CMV peptide dramatically represses expression of a viral glycoprotein gene by interfering with a step during translation termination. Investigations of the precise step that is blocked by this peptide revealed new insights into this ubiquitous but poorly characterized step in eukaryotic gene expression and stimulated current investigations of the translation termination mechanism and its potential as a therapeutic target for several genetic disorders.

PUBLICATIONS

Child SJ, Jarrahian S, Harper VM, Geballe AP. Complementation of vaccinia virus lacking the dsRNA-binding protein gene E3L by human cytomegalovirus. J Virol 76:4912-8, 2002.

Sachs MS, Geballe AP. Sense and sensitivity controlling the ribosome. Science 297:1820-1, 2002.
Janzen DM, Frolova L, Geballe AP. Inhibition of translation termination mediated by an interaction of eukaryotic release factor 1 with a nascent peptidyl-tRNA. Mol Cell Biol 22:8562-70, 2002.

Alerete JP, Child SJ, Geballe AP. Abundant early expression of gpUL4 after infection with a cytomegalovirus mutant lacking a repressive upstream open reading frame. J Virol 75:7188-92, 2001.